Record Type
Record type tells you which records a cartridge and its fitted stylus are intended to play.
Use it to match a cartridge to your records, not as a sound-quality ranking.
Record Type — Cartridge
Stereo LP means a stereo cartridge for microgroove vinyl records: the fine grooves used on LPs. Stereo carries two channels; mono carries one. Mono LP identifies a cartridge for mono microgroove records. A stereo cartridge can also play these with a suitable stylus.
Here, 78 rpm identifies equipment for shellac 78s, whose coarser grooves need an appropriate stylus. Selecting 78 rpm on the turntable does not make an LP stylus suitable. Check the manufacturer’s cartridge and stylus guidance before playback; a mismatch can damage the record.
Record type is separate from the generator design. A mono cartridge can use either a moving-magnet or moving-coil generator.
Sources
- Mono records and groove types — Ortofon
- VM cartridges: mono LP and shellac models — Audio-Technica
- Phono Cartridges guide: mono moving-coil cartridges — Audio-Technica
- AT-LP120-USB manual: 78 rpm stylus warning — Audio-Technica